The Buffalo Bills are back in the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year, but for the first time since 2019, not as a divisional winner. The Bills have to go on the road to face the Jacksonville Jaguars, winners of the AFC South. This is unfamiliar territory for the Bills, as the last time they were in this position, they lost to the Houston Texans in 2019 in the Wild Card round. That was Josh Allen’s second season as a pro, and with the Bills being as battle-tested in the playoffs compared to the others in the playoff field, this could work to their benefit. 

The Jaguars will not be the ones lying down as they are one of the hottest teams in the league, winning eight straight to catch the Indianapolis Colts, who faded hard down the stretch. They were also able to fend off the Houston Texans, who made a hard push to the end, but it was not enough as they grabbed the fifth seed. 

The Bills were initially favored by 1.5 according to most sportsbooks, but both teams could easily win this game and see their season extended another week. Someone has to win, and someone has to lose, but in this single elimination tournament, that is the NFL playoffs, that’s what makes it so exciting. 

Read below for a full analysis of each team’s injury report and projected inactives. 

BUFFALO BILLS INJURY REPORT

OUT

LB Terrel Bernard (Right Calf)

Bernard missed last week’s game against the New York Jets after tweaking his right calf while making a tackle in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was ruled out during Monday’s press conference and was unable to practice last week. 

He was unable to practice all week and ruled out prior to Friday’s practice. It’s possible he could be ready next week should the Bills win, but it’s been a rough season for Bernard as he’s never truly been healthy. 

CB Maxwell Hairston (Right Ankle)

Hairston was initially doubtful to return to Sunday’s game after suffering a right ankle injury with 9:46 left in the fourth quarter seen below. 

The injury looks as though he suffered a high-ankle sprain, and considering how he rolled over the ankle but his heel was not in contact with the ground. There does not need to be contact on the ground to make this a high-ankle sprain. 

Since 2017, most Bills players have missed just over two games due to a confirmed high-ankle sprain, which means Hairston’s chances to play are iffy should the Bills win. The team is expecting Hairston to be out some time, as they signed Dane Jackson to the active roster on Wednesday. This injury is less about how tough Hairston is and more about his functional abilities. He will have difficulty backpedaling, cutting, and jumping with his assignment, especially going to his right. 

I don’t anticipate that he is able to play next week based on the information that we know, and he could be available for the AFC Championship should the Bills advance that far. 

QUESTIONABLE

RB Ty Johnson (Right Ankle)

Johnson briefly left Sunday’s game with 9:02 left in the first quarter when he got rolled over to the right as his ankle got caught in the turf. He was quickly assessed and was probable to return.

However, he was unable to practice on Wednesday or Thursday, increasing the concern for his potential absence. He got a limited practice in on Friday and was warming up without a red non-contact jersey, but other than what we see below, it doesn’t offer much. 

Looking at questionable players playing, the Bills have had 28 players questionable during playoff years since 2017. 

Of those 28, 10 didn’t play, 18 played (64%). 

From 2017-2024, the Bills normally play questionable players at 57%.

18/22 questionable that were limited the final practice ended up playing (82%)

Of the 10 questionable downgraded to out, 6 were DNP the last practice.

There’s a high probability that Johnson suits up, but each injury is unique. If he can’t go, then I expect Frank Gore Jr to be called up. 

If Johnson doesn’t play, he’ll be one of the 18 percent that is limited the final practice and doesn’t play.

WR Joshua Palmer (Left Ankle)

Palmer was a return addition to the injury report after being absent the last two weeks, as he still battles his left high-ankle sprain suffered back in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons. He has since aggravated it several times and has been largely unproductive as a result. 

He was unable to practice all week and despite not practicing, he is still questionable. No player that hasn’t practiced during the week has played under Sean McDermott. I don’t see how he plays.

K Matt Prater (Right Quad)

Prater left Sunday’s game after experiencing stiffness in his right quad following his kickoff with 4:58 left in the second quarter. He felt as though the cold contributed to the stiffness, and the Bills held him out as a precaution. 

Bills K Matt Prater says he feels pretty confident that he’ll be ready for Sunday. He’s also helping K Matthew Wright in the meantime. Prater thinks the cold was a factor in his quad stiffening up on Sunday, and he felt good going into the game.

— katherine fitzgerald (@kfitz134) January 7, 2026

After not participating in Wednesday’s walk-through, Prater was a full participant on Thursday. This is a promising sign that Sunday’s move was more precautionary and that with the warmer weather, Prater will be good to go. I can’t quantify the risk of Prater re-injuring his quad, but this is something the Bills are aware of internally, at least based on how he feels. I don’t even believe they can say that there is a percentage risk to injury, but it comes down to how he feels kicking. 

Bills HC Sean McDermott said their plan is to have K Matt Prater not kick Wednesday, but do some kicking on Thursday and then get him some rest later in the week before coming to their full decision on him playing on Sunday.

— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) January 7, 2026

We will know more about Prater’s status come Saturday if the Bills elevate K Matthew Wright. They could still elevate him as a precaution to buy them more time should Prater tweak his quadriceps during warmups, but this is a calculated risk the Bills are taking. We, the public, don’t know the exact risks at this time. I’m leaning towards Prater playing.

LB Shaq Thompson (Neck)

Thompson has been working through a neck injury following a helmet-to-helmet collision in Week 16 against the Cleveland Browns.

He was unable to return for the rest of that game but was able to play in 59 percent of snaps the following week against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

He missed Week 18 due to be a healthy scratch to be ready for the playoffs. He has been wearing a red non-contact jersey for the last two weeks during practice.

Of Bills players who were DNP yesterday, here’s what I saw today:

Milano (illness) ✅
Palmer (ankle) ❌
Prater (quad) ✅ (didn’t see him kick while we were present)
Hairston (ankle) ❌
Ty Johnson (ankle) ❌
Bernard (calf) ❌

Shaq Thompson (neck) wearing red non-contact jersey

— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) January 8, 2026

We don’t know the exact injury that Thompson is dealing with, but this injury may continue to linger with maintenance required in order to get through the playoffs. 

Sean McDermott noted that Thompson should be good to go on Sunday.

Bills coach Sean McDermott said that LB Shaq Thompson (neck) will be listed as questionable, but should be good to go for Sunday.

TE Dalton Kincaid (knee) is expected not to have a designation depending on practice today.

— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) January 9, 2026

ACTIVE

QB Josh Allen (Right Foot)

Allen continues to work through his right foot injury sustained against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16. I have had the assumption that this is some type of midfoot sprain, considering how he fell over his foot trying to escape Myles Garrett.

He was able to play through the injury the following week against the Philadelphia Eagles and saw his rushing attempts mostly reduced as he made more passing attempts. He has required X-rays on the foot following the Browns game and against Philadelphia, which were negative. 

He appeared in only one snap last week to rest his foot before the playoffs. We will potentially find out how severe Allen’s foot injury was after the season, but Allen will play through the injury during these playoffs and raise his game higher as he attempts to lead the Bills on a deep playoff run. 

There is a chance he could injure the foot further, but the Bills know what the injury is and the risks associated with playing through the injury. 

S Cole Bishop (Ribs)

Bishop is still working through a rib injury originally picked against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16. He was able to practice the following week as a full participant every day before being removed ahead of Week 18. 

He played in seven defensive snaps on Sunday before he was removed to keep himself healthy for the playoffs. He was able to practice in full again this week, indicating that these may be bruised ribs that require additional protection and a pain-numbing injection. 

DE Joey Bosa (Left Hamstring)

Bosa missed last week’s game as a technically healthy scratch, as he didn’t have a game-day designation. He has been working through a left hamstring strain originally sustained against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13. He missed the following game before returning against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Having last week off helped him to be ready for the playoffs, which was the original goal after signing him this past offseason. He was able to practice in full on Wednesday and Thursday before being downgraded to limited on Friday without a designation. 

DT DaQuan Jones (Left Calf)

Jones sat out last week’s game as he continues to recover from his left calf strain aggravated against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16. The injury is originally from Week 6 warmups against the Atlanta Falcons, which cost him three games before returning and then missing the last two games. 

The Bills have historically not had calf injuries linger, but it does happen from time to time. With Jones being an older player, he doesn’t bounce back like he once did. He dealt with a calf injury in the Wild Card round against the Miami Dolphins. He was limited the entire week heading into the Divisional matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals before he ultimately missed the game. 

Fortunately, he has no designation but may be on a limited snap count in order to get through the game and postseason. 

TE Dalton Kincaid (Left Knee)

Kincaid is continuing to deal with his left knee, which he aggravated ahead of Week 14 while rehabbing from his right hamstring injury in Week 10. He has been able to play in four out of the last five games, missing Week 17. 

This knee will continue to be an issue until the end of the season, and once the season ends, I expect the Bills to address this issue once and for good. 

CB Cam Lewis (Left Toe)

Lewis exited Sunday’s game with 12:05 left in the fourth quarter on a kickoff return seen below. 

I initially thought he had re-injured his left hamstring that he’s been working through over the last several weeks. However, he injured his left toe when it appeared he had stepped on trying to get into to tackle. He was seen working off to the side, trying to test it out, but never returned due to the score. 

LB Matt Milano (Illness)

Milano missed Wednesday’s practice due to illness but was able to return for Thursday and Friday. 

DT TJ Sanders (Left Shoulder)

Sanders was a new addition to the injury report on Thursday with a shoulder designation. In practice photos, he can be seen wearing a left shoulder brace, though he was a full designation. This also suggests that this was a pre-existing issue before practice, and with the team doing more work on Thursday, he needed to protect the joint. 

Looking back at the film from Sunday, there weren’t any plays that suggested that he injured his shoulder or that he was wearing a brace prior. 

S Jordan Poyer (Left Hamstring)

After missing the last two games due to a hamstring strain suffered late in the game against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16, Poyer looks to make his return to the field. While he is an older player and a late-season strain is never ideal, the two weeks off with rehab should have allowed him to heal close to 100 percent so that he could be ready for the playoffs.  

I caught up with Bills starting S Jordan Poyer today, who sat out the last 2 games with a hamstring injury. Came across as very optimistic for Sunday vs. the Jaguars.

“I feel good. I feel ready to go. I feel ready to play. I’m excited to play.”

— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) January 7, 2026

This was confirmed as much by Poyer on Wednesday, when The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia spoke to him in the locker room. He will be a welcome addition and could be a difference maker on Sunday. 

INJURED RESERVE

S Damar Hamlin (Left Pectoral)

Bills coach Sean McDermott said that safety Damar Hamlin’s 21-day practice window will open today. Has been on injured reserve since Oct. 11.

— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) January 7, 2026

Hamlin returned to practice for the first time since his left pectoral repair after suffering the injury in practice before Week 5. Based on when he had the surgery, and is about 12-13 weeks out from his surgery. This is roughly the same amount of time that we saw DaQuan Jones and Jon Feliciano begin to return to practice for their respective pectoral injuries. 

Hamlin will need to be activated to the roster to play, but his practice window opening allows the team to bring him back should they need him next week and beyond. 

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS INJURY REPORT

QUESTIONABLE

C Cole Van Lanen (Right Knee)

Van Lanen was forced to exit Sunday’s win over the Tennessee Titans after suffering a right knee injury, as seen below. 

What is interesting about the video is that we see the right knee get injured by way of what appears to be a direct collision from the defensive end, hitting the inside portion of the knee. However, as he limps off, he is discussing the injury with the athletic trainer, motioning to the outside portion of his knee and making a pop or exploding motion with his hand. 

He was unable to practice on Wednesday or Thursday, was limited Friday and is questionable. Should he try to play, the right leg is his inside leg which means he needs to laterally move to his left by pushing off his right and will have a difficult time anchoring on the right. If I’m a defensive end, I’m working my initial moves outside and then swimming or spinning back inside to prevent him from being able to shift back to that right side. If he’s playing he has some level of confidence that he can do this, but stressing him again and again by setting him up or forcing him outside repeatedly could cause him to overstress the knee. 

Van Lanen was able to return to practice on Friday with a bulky right knee brace as he slowly moved through his drills. 

#Jaguars this season had five instances of player going DNP-DNP-Limited on injury report like Van Lanen is …

Did not play in game: Wyatt Milum Week 2, Travon Walker Week 5, Robert Hainsey Weeks 6/16,

Did play in game: Ezra Cleveland Week 3.

— Ryan O’Halloran (@ryanohalloran) January 9, 2026

If Van Lanen can’t go or exits early, Walker Little steps in at his position. Considering this is the playoffs, I think he at least makes an attempt to play.

ACTIVE

CB Montaric Brown (Neck)

Brown has been on the injury report since Week 17 after suffering a neck injury trying to tackle Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton over the middle in Week 16.

LT Cole Van Lanen and CB Jarrian Jones only two Jaguars players not spotted during open media portion of practice. CB Greg Newsome, CB Montaric Brown, DE Danny Striggow wearing non-contact tops.

— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) January 7, 2026

Based on how he hit and how he grabbed his left arm after suggests that he suffered a stinger, especially since he was able to return after missing one play. He has been wearing a red non-contact jersey during practice this week. This may be more of a maintenance issue, with the hope that this is not something more serious, he is trying to gut it out. He has played in every game since the injury, which suggests the nerve may be more irritated after the hit. 

CB Jarrian Jones (Illness)

Jones missed Wednesday’s practice due to illness before returning as a limited participant on Thursday and a full designation on Friday. 

OL Patrick Mekari (Back)

Mekari has missed the last two games after suffering a back injury with 11:57 left in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos in Week 16. Watching the video back, it looks as though Mekari gets overextended, and the back appears to lock up on him when he falls. 

He was unable to return to that game and unable to practice for the following two weeks. He returned to practice this week as a limited participant. 

CB Greg Newsome II (Left Shoulder)

Newsome has been working through a left shoulder injury since aggravating the injury in Week 16 against the Denver Broncos. He appears to be wearing a shoulder harness on his left shoulder, and this injury has caused him to leave the game several times in Week 18 before returning. 

The exact injury is not clear, but this is something that could hamper him in coverage if he has to extend his arms or make a solo tackle, placing extra stress on his shoulder. The Bills could exploit this if he is positioned on the left side of the field and run routes inside that force Newsome to use his length or take angles that force him to put his shoulder out there to make contact. 

DL Danny Striggow (Left Ankle/Right Elbow)

Striggow has been on the injury report for the last few weeks after suffering a left ankle injury with 11:26 left in the second quarter in the win over the New York Jets in Week 15. 

He got his left ankle rolled up on which suggests a high-ankle sprain in addition to the time missed. He was able to return in Week 18 and saw some snaps, but was sporting a right elbow brace at kickoff. It’s not clear how he injured the elbow if this was in practice, and it was finally reported. He has been lining up over the right tackle, which means that the left ankle, which is still not 100 percent, needs to plant in the ground and push off to bend the edge. He may struggle as the game progresses. He is more of a depth and rotational defensive lineman who also sees a lot of special teams snaps. 

Buffalo Bills Projected Inactives

CB Maxwell Hairston

WR Joshua Palmer

LB Terrel Bernard

OT Tylan Grable

S Darnell Savage

TE Keleki Latu

Call Ups: K Matthew Wright (Inactive) , LB Baylon Spector

Jacksonville Jaguars Projected Inactives

DT Maason Smith

DE Emmanuel Ogbah

CB Keith Taylor

TE Hunter Long

OL Chuma Edoga

Final Thoughts

While the Jaguars do have a significant injury advantage, you can’t discount the Bills depth and ability to win a variety of different ways this season.

Whoever makes fewer mistakes wins the game. It sounds so simple, but with both teams playing as well as they have been recently, it will be who can show up. This is Buffalo’s worst team since 2019, but with so many veterans and Josh Allen, you can’t discount all the experience. With Jacksonville, proper coaching and utilizing the talent on the roster made a huge difference from 4-13 last year, as they could be a potential dark-horse deep playoff run.

We could see Buffalo start slow and be a second half team, we could see them start hot and never take the foot off the gas, or not even show up. This playoff experience is too valuable to dismiss and the Bills have a legitimate shot to win.

We’ll see what version of the Bills show up on Sunday, but I hope that ifs a version that wins.

Top Photo Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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